Control device for the sliding roofs of vehicles

ABSTRACT

A device for stopping the motion of a vehicle sliding roof panel when it reaches the intermediate closed position from one of two opposite open positions, where a moving pivotable catch hook is engaged by a fixed catching pin, thereby de-activating a hook retaining means and allowing the hook to be retracted by a spring when it is disengaged from the catching pin to permit overriding of the closed position.

United StatesPatent 1191 11] 3,789,65 Schmid Feb. 5, 1974 [54] figggg 23255? THE SLIDING FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 986,225 3/1965 GreatBritain 296/137 G [75] Inventor: Alfred Schmid, Edgewater, Md. [73]Assignee: Webasto-Werk W. Baier KG, Primary Examiner charles MyhreStockdorf, Germany Assistant ExaminerFrank H. McKenzie, Jr. 2 Filed;July 27 972 Attorney, Agent, or FirmLeo A. Rosetta et al.

[21] App]. No.: 275,718

[57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 27 1971Austria 6529/71 A device stopping the motion a vehicle Sliding roofpanel when it reaches the intermediate closed po- 52 US. (31....;74/491, 74/501 R, 296/137 A from one of Opposite P Positims, Where 51Int. Cl G05g 1/00 a moving Pivotable catch hook is engaged by a fixed 58Field of Search 74/491 501 R- Catching P thereby is-activating aretaining 296/137 6 means and allowing the hook to be retracted by aspring when it is disengaged from the catching pin to [56] ReferencesCited permit overriding of the closed position.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures 3,507,537 4/1970Kouth et al 296/137 F CONTROL DEVICE FOR THE SLIDING ROOFS F VEHICLESBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The inventionrelates to control devices for the positioning of movable panels, and inparticular tocontrol devices for the sliding roof covers of vehicleswhere the control device determines a closed zero position, allowing afirst opening movement in one direction and a second opening movement inthe opposite direction.

2. Description of the Prior Art The prior art includes known mechanismsfor the motion control of vehicle sliding roofs which can be opened intwo different directions from an intermediate, closed position. Anelectrically controlled sliding roof system of this kind is disclosed incopending application, Ser. No. 209,613, filed Dec. 20, 1971, now US.Pat. No. 3,702,430. This solution involves the use of an electric drivemotor and position-responsive switching means which automatically stopthe drive when'the roof panel reaches its closed position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a primary object of the invention toprovide a simple and robust mechanism for the position control ofsliding roof covers which does not require electrical switching meansand which is economical to produce.

The invention proposes to attain the above objective by using a controlmechanism with a catch lock for the movable part in the region of thezero position, the catch lock being automatically released by themovement of the roof panel. This has the advantage that no separateoperating device for the release of the lock is required.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the releasable lock includesa pivotable catch hook and a catch element, for example, a pin. Thesetwo elements move relative to one another in two direction, viz. a catchdirection and a release direction. One of the two elements, preferablythe catch pin, is stationary, while the catch hook is part of thecable-operated push-pull mechanism which moves the roof panel. Thereleasable lock further includes release means, preferably a spring, forpivoting the catch hook into and out of the locking position.

In one embodiment of the releasable lock, the pivot pin of the catchhook is slidable in slots. A pivoting movement of the catch hook mayconveniently be controlled by a slotted link guide, which according to afurther feature of the invention includes an angular slot in which thesliding of the pivot pin of the catch hook causes the latter to performan upward movement and, on the release of the catch hook, to perform adownward movement. A locking device of the type described can bemanufactured in the form of a simple stamping, and because it requireslittle space can easily 'be accommodated in a vehicleroof.

According to a further feature of the invention the catch hook isprovided with a cam surface which after the release of the lock, pivotsthe catch hook back into the locking position when the cable is moved inthe release direction. In order to return the catch hook to the startingposition, one simple arrangement consists in providing a spring devicewhich moves the catch hook into the starting position after beingpivoted back into the locking position in the release direction. If itis desired'to work not only one control stop, but to provide a stop ineach direction of movement, use is made of a different pivotable catchhook which is so disposed that in the region of the zero position itsecures a catch member, when the cable is moved in the catch direction.In a preferred embodiment of the feature the two catch hooks arecombined in one piece and pivotable about a central pivot pin. In thiscase it is convenient for the catch hooks to be disposed on the ends ofa rocker, which in the center is provided with a slot and a pin slidabletherein to serve as a shifting pivot. Use is made of a spring, whichacts on the rocker and which, depending on the position of the pin inthe slot, urges the rocker device to pivot in one of two differentdirections.

One application of the device according to the invention is to controlthe opening and closing, and also outward-and return tilting movements,of a sliding cover panel, more especially of the sliding roof of avehicle, wherein the closed position of the sliding cover is selected aszero position for the control device. In this case it is convenient forthe lock to be partly fastened on a part articulated to the slidingcover.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS There will now be described twoembodiments of control devices according to the invention, given by wayof example, which with the accompanying drawings will suggest stillfurther features and advantages of the invention, wherein: FIG. 1 is aside view of a device according to the invention in the catchingposition with a side wall removed;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the complete device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section through FIG. 2 taken along line III- III;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the same device in the locking position;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the device in the released position;

FIG. 6 is another side view with the catch hook in the raised position;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view with the catch hook completelyset back;

FIG. 8 shows in longitudinal section another form of device inaccordance with the invention, in the locking position;

FIG. 9 shows the device of FIG. 8 in the released position;

FIG. 10 shows a schematic cross section of a sliding roof of a vehiclefitted with the device according to the invention, in the open position;

FIG. 11 shows the same in the closed position; and

FIG. 12 shows the roof panel in an upwardly tilted open position. 1

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As can be seen from FIGS. l-3,a catch device in accordance with the invention comprises a U-shapedframe 1, of which each side plate 2,3 is provided with two slots, whichare identified in the plate 3 by the references 4 and 5. A catch hook 8is held in these slots by means of pins 6,7 engaging the slots 5 and 4,respectively, and slidable therein. The moving hook 8 is shown in FIG. 1in the catching position in which it just bears against a stationary pin9, which is spaced from the U-section.

For the functioning of the device it is immaterial whether the pin 9 isfastened on the moving part, and the U-section together with the catchhook is mounted in a fixed position, or whether this section is mountedon the moving part and the pin 9 is mounted in a fixed position asillustrated and described herein. In the application of such a device tothe slidable roof cover of a vehicle as illustrated in FIGS. ll2, theclosed position of the sliding cover (FIG. 11) corresponds to the zeroposition of the device to be controlled. As shown in FIG. 10, thesliding cover can be lowered and moved under a fixed roof part 13 withthe aid ofa rocking lever 11 mounted on a slide 12. A crank 14 and apush-pull cable serve as drive means, whereby the sliding cover 10 canbe returned to the closed position shown in FIG. 11 and also broughtinto the upwardtilted alternate open position illustrated in FIG. 12 ina known manner.

The device according to the invention is moved, in the exampleillustrated, by means of the slide 12 on which the U-shaped frame 1shown in FIGS. l-7 is mounted, with the hook 8 running up against thepin 9 fastened on the roof frame.

The sliding cover 10 shown in FIGS. 10-12 is movable from the openposition shown in FIG. 10 to the closed position, and when the closedposition is reached the catch hook 8 engages pin 9 which serves as acatch element. When operation of the crank 14 is continued andconsequently the slide 12 and U-section l are moved further, catch hook8 passes from the previously described catching position into thelocking position shown in FIG. 4. The catch hook 8 is thereby slightlyraised since the slots 4,5 are moved towards the left on the pins 6,7;and a lip 16 of the slot 5 raises the hook 8 from the position in FIG. 2to that in FIG. 4 by engaging the pin 6. In the position shown in FIG. 4the pin 6 can slide downward past lip 16 into the lower part of slot 5,allowing hook 8 to be lowered into the horizontal position shown in FIG.1 under the pressure of a spring 17. Pin 6 is then positioned in theupper portion of the downwardly extending arm of the inverted L-shapedslot, but slightly below the position shown in FIG. 4.

When the crank 14 is turned back very slightly, so that the slide 12together with the U-shaped frame is moved back, the hook 8 is releasedfrom the position of engagement against the pin 9 allowing it to pivotdownwardly into the release position shown in FIG. 5. The slide 12 andthe U-shaped frame 1 can now be moved further in the direction of thecrank drive, and the sliding cover 10 is now tilted upwardly into thesecond open position shown in FIG. 12. A more detailed description ofthe functioning of the opening, closing and upward-tilting operation isgiven in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 1,919,479.

As can be seen from the above description, the control device of theinvention produces a definite stop action between the closing andupward-tilting operations during the movement of the sliding cover 10,as illustrated, and this stop can be overridden in a simple man- 6 ner,by briefly turning back the crank 14. No additional 5 operating elementsare required'for this override action.

When the slide 12 is moved back beyond the closed position shown in FIG.11 into the lower open position shown in FIG. 10, the hook 8 isswivelled back by the pin 9 which acts on a cam surface 18 of the hooklever as seen in FIG. 6. As soon as pin 6 reaches a higher position thanthe lip 16 of the slot 5, hook 8 is pushed backward by the spring 19into the starting position shown in FIG. 7. If the sliding cover 10 isnow again moved forwardly and cam surface 18 passes the pin 9, the hook8 can yield because of the widened portion 20 of the front portion ofthe slot 5, and the previously described operation is then repeated.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate another form of control device according to theinvention, in which a double catch hook, consisting of a rocker 21, withtwo hooks 22,23 is mounted in a U-shaped frame 25. Frame 25 includes afixed pivot pin 24, the double catch hook engaging the pin 24 by meansof a pivot slot 26. The slot 26 is located centrally of the rocker 21and the latter is engaged by a spring 27 fastened on the U-shaped frame25 under the pin 24, and acts on the rocker 21 of the double hookbeneath the mid-point of the slot 26.

In FIG. 8, the device is shown in the first locking position similar tothat of FIG. 1. A slight backward movement of frame 25 to the rightcauses the connection between the hook 22 and a fixed pin 28, whichcorresponds to the pin 9 of FIG. 1, to be released, allowing the spring27 to pivot the double catch hook into the second locking position shownin FIG. 9. The U-shaped frame 25 can now be moved to the left withoutthe hook 22 coming against the pin 28. This device, in contrast to thepreviously described embodiment, provides a further stop during thereturn movement, when the hook 23, now raised, meets the pin 28. Thecontinuing movement of frame 25 and pin 24 causes a change-over from thecatching position to a locking position, in which the pin 24 is movedalong the slot 26 to the other end of the slot. Another short backwardmovement of the carriage releases the hook 23 from the engaging positionwith pin 28, whereupon the double catch hook is pivoted by the spring27. In order to obtain safe release of the hooks 22 and 23 from the pin28 it is preferable to provide a friction action between the doublecatch and frame 25.

In the embodiment of the device last described, a stop action isobtained not only on changing from the closing movement to theupward-tilting movement of the sliding cover, but also when changingfrom the return pivoting movement to the opening movement.

A corresponding double stop action can also be obtained by means of twodevices according to the first embodiment of the invention described,when the latter are turned in relation to one another.

It should be understood that the invention is not restricted to thedetails of the embodiments described, but may be modified in variousways without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined inthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for controlling the positions of a movable part such as thesliding roof panel of a vehicle comprising in combination:

reversible drive means for moving the movable part into and out of anintermediate zero position in two directions;

means for blocking the motion of the drive means and movable part, whenthe movable part reaches the zero position; and

means for releasing the blocking means to permit continued movement ofthe drive means and movable part beyond the zero position, the releasingmeans responding to a release motion of the drive means.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the drive means is in theform of a reciprocating push-pull cable operated by a crank. v

3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the blocking means includestwo blocking members,

one member being stationary and the other one being movable as a resultof being connected to the movable part, the blocking members engagingone another in the zero position of the movable part so as to block themotion of the latter.

4. A device as defined in claim 3, wherein:

one of the blocking members is a pivotable catch hook which moves withthe movable part and the other blocking member is a catch element whichis stationary.

5. A device as defined in claim 3, wherein:

one of the blocking members is a pivotable rocker arm and the otherblocking member is a cooperating catch element, the rocker arm includingtwo oppositely oriented catching hooks on opposite ends thereof whichare alternately engageable by the catch element;

. the blocking means further includes a frame in which the rocker arm ispivotably mounted, and a transverse pivot pin in the frame for therocker arm; and

the releasing means includes a spring connected to the rocker arm nearits midpoint and an elongated pivot hole in the rocker arm extending toboth sides of the spring connection, the spring being so arranged thatit tends to alternately retract that hook end of the rocker arm which isengaged by the catch element.

6. A device as defined in claim 3, wherein:

one of the blocking members is a pivotable catch book and the otherblocking member is a cooperating catch element.

7. A device as defined in claim 6, wherein:

the pivotable catch hook is movable between a catching position in whichit is aligned to engage the catch element and a release position inwhich the blocking members can move past one another;

the releasing means includes a spring which biases the pivotable catchhook toward the release position and means for retaining the hook in thecatching position against the spring bias until the catch elementengages and displaces the hook, thereby de-activating the retainingmeans and releasing the hook to be retracted by the spring, as the hookis disengaged from the catch element in the release motion.

8. A device as defined in claim 7, further including resetting meansadapted to return the hook to its catching position in which it is heldby the retaining means.

9. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein the pivotable hook includesan elongated body, a hook shape on one extremity thereof, a transversepivot pin at a distance from the hook shape, and a transverse retainingpin at a distance from the pivot pin; and wherein theblocking meansfurther includes a frame in which the hook is mounted, thepivot pinbeing displaceable laterally in an elongated hole in the frame, and theretaining pin being displaceable laterally and in the direction of hookpivoting in an inverted L- shaped slot in the frame, the latter slot andthe retaining pin being a part of the retaining means.

10. A device as defined in claim 9, wherein the pivotable hook furtherincludes at a distance from the pivot pin opposite the hook shape a camportion which, when the hook has been pivoted out of its catchingposition, can be engaged by the catching element to return the hook tothe catching position.

1. A device for controlling the positions of a movable part such as the sliding roof panel of a vehicle comprising in combination: reversible drive means for moving the movable part into and out of an intermediate zero position in two directions; means for blocking the motion of the drive means and movable part, when the movable part reaches the zero position; and means for releasing the blocking means to permit continued movement of the drive means and movable part beyond the zero position, the releasing means responding to a release motion of the drive means.
 2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the drive means is in the form of a reciprocating push-pull cable operated by a crank.
 3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the blocking means includes two blocking members, one member being stationary and the other one being movable as a result of being connected to the movable part, the blocking members engaging one another in the zero position of the movable part so as to block the motion of the latter.
 4. A device as defined in claim 3, wherein: one of the blocking members is a pivotable catch hook which moves with the movable part and the other blocking member is a catch element which is stationary.
 5. A device as defined in claim 3, wherein: one of the blocking members is a pivotable rocker arm and the other blocking member is a cooperating catch element, the rocker arm including two oppositely oriented catching hooks on opposite ends thereof which are alternately engageable by the catch element; the blocking means further includes a frame in which the rocker arm is pivotably mounted, and a transverse pivot pin in the frame for the rocker arm; and the releasing means includes a spring connected to the rocker arm near its midpoint and an elongated pivot hole in the rocker arm extending to both sides of the spring connection, the spring being so arranged that it tends to alternately retract that hook end of the rocker arm which is engaged by the catch element.
 6. A device as defined in claim 3, wherein: one of the blocking members is a pivotable catch hook and the other blocking member is a cooperating catch element.
 7. A device as defined in claim 6, wherein: the pivotable catch hook is movable between a catching position in which it is aligned to engage the catch element and a release position in which the blocKing members can move past one another; the releasing means includes a spring which biases the pivotable catch hook toward the release position and means for retaining the hook in the catching position against the spring bias until the catch element engages and displaces the hook, thereby de-activating the retaining means and releasing the hook to be retracted by the spring, as the hook is disengaged from the catch element in the release motion.
 8. A device as defined in claim 7, further including resetting means adapted to return the hook to its catching position in which it is held by the retaining means.
 9. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein the pivotable hook includes an elongated body, a hook shape on one extremity thereof, a transverse pivot pin at a distance from the hook shape, and a transverse retaining pin at a distance from the pivot pin; and wherein the blocking means further includes a frame in which the hook is mounted, the pivot pin being displaceable laterally in an elongated hole in the frame, and the retaining pin being displaceable laterally and in the direction of hook pivoting in an inverted L-shaped slot in the frame, the latter slot and the retaining pin being a part of the retaining means.
 10. A device as defined in claim 9, wherein the pivotable hook further includes at a distance from the pivot pin opposite the hook shape a cam portion which, when the hook has been pivoted out of its catching position, can be engaged by the catching element to return the hook to the catching position. 